Canal Saint-Martin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Canal Saint-Martin is a 4.5km long canal in Paris, France.

Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Tourism 4 The canal in fiction

[edit] Geography

It stretches from the Square Frédérick Lemaître to the Rue Lafayette and shortcuts a long loop in the River Seine on the eastern side of Paris in the Xe arrondissement.

[edit] History

The canal was opened in 1825 after Napoleon had ordered the artificial waterway dug to supply Paris with water, however by the 1960s, traffic had dwindled to a trickle and the canal narrowly escaped being filled in and paved over for a highway.

[edit] Tourism

Today, the canal is a popular destination for Parisians and tourists who watch the barges navigate the series of locks and road bridges.

[edit] The canal in fiction

• The canal is featured in the 1938 movie Hôtel du Nord, directed by Marcel Carné.
• The canal is featured in the 2001 movie Amélie, in which Amélie Poulain enjoys skipping stones at the locks of the canal.